Learning to E-Cheat: A Criminological Test of Internet Facilitated Academic Cheating

An increasing problem of great concern for academic institutions is the perva- siveness of cheating among students. Further compounding this problem is advancements in technology that have created new ways for students to engage in cheating. Despite a growing interest in technology facilitated cheat- ing, little is known about why students may employ electronic resources to cheat. However, Akers’ social learning theory offers one plausible explanation. Surveys were collected from a sample of 534 college students at a large south- eastern university in order to quantify the prevalence and frequency of Inter- net facilitated cheating. These surveys allowed for an exploration of factors associated with this form of cheating and a comparison between what we refer to as E-cheating and traditional forms of cheating. Results indicate that approximately 40% of students have engaged in some form of E-cheating in the last year. Social learning variables emerge as the strongest predictors of both the occurrence and frequency of E-cheating while self-control and strain vari- ables have little effect. An exploration of the relationship between E-cheating and similar technology free cheating behaviors suggests that there is significant overlap, but that some students do “specialize” in E-cheating or technology free cheating. We conclude by offering suggestions for teaching strategies, course and assignment design, and testing that will best limit E-cheating